The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is mounting an exciting new exhibition that combines the work of the artists Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí for the first time. Dalí was Catalan, and Picasso spent his formative years in Barcelona. Barcelona´s Deputy Mayor for Culture, Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation, Jaume Ciurana, has observed that Barcelona “made them theirs because they endorsed Barcelona”.
The exhibition of 78 pieces from the two artists is titled ‘Picasso / Dali. Dalí / Picasso’ and was devised by the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg (Florida, USA), where it ran until November last year in collaboration with the Museu Picasso in Paris and the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí in Figueres (Girona).
It features 29 works from both artists that are not usually on display and so can only be seen here in Barcelona. Also on display are two works that are rarely exhibited in Europe – ‘Retrat de la meva Germana’ and ‘The profanació de l’Host’, by Dalí. The curators have borrowed works from museums in Germany, Canada, the USA, Spain, France, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The exhibition is based upon the relationship between these two giants of twentieth century art, through paintings, drawings, collages, sculptures and prints. It also devotes a section to the Spanish Civil War, an event which profoundly affected both artists, who were both against Franco’s fascist regime.
The organisers have noted the importance of Catalunya in the artist´s relationship, especially Barcelona and Cadaqués, where a young Dalí was visited by Picasso, who then became something of a teacher to him.
This exhibition represents a unique aspect of Catalan art and history and is a must see for anyone interested in 20th century art. It begins tomorrow, the 20th of March, and runs until June the 28th.
